DAVID Willey starred with a scintillating century before Worcestershire’s Ross Whiteley wowed the Headingley crowd with six sixes in an over as Yorkshire won a high-scoring NatWest T20 Blast clash.

Willey hit a career best 118 off 55 balls in the Vikings 233-6 as they secured a third win from six in the North Group, including the last two on the spin.

But fellow left-hander Whiteley will take all the headlines by smashing left-arm spinner Karl Carver for six sixes in the 16th over of the chase, which included a wide.

He helped to take the visitors score to 173-4 after 16 overs before Yorkshire held their nerve to restrict the score to 196-7.

Adil Rashid was superb for 2-20 from four overs on a frantic day, while Steve Patterson impressed at the death with 1-8 from three.

Yorkshire captain Tim Bresnan said it was amongst the best death bowling he had ever seen from the seamer.

Bresnan has actually taken some of the blame for Whiteley’s six sixes.

Bowling from the Football Stand End, Carver was defending a short leg-side boundary against a left-hander into the old Western Terrace.

Coach Andrew Gale also admitted with a smile: "I blame poor captaincy.

“He shouldn't have bowled him at that part of the game. I felt for Karl, he's got a good record in T20 cricket and he'll bounce back.

"Ross nearly did it a few years back against us. It was good striking.”

Whiteley becomes the fifth man in pro cricket to achieve the feat, six if you include Lancashire’s Jordan Clark, who did it in a second-team game against Yorkshire at Scarborough in 2013.

But, when all was said and done, it was too little, too late for Worcester following Willey’s heroics on an overcast and sometimes rainy day.

Having hit 70 in the 29-run win over Birmingham here on Friday, he smashed nine fours and eight sixes in his second career T20 century.

He posted Yorkshire’s highest individual score in this format and the highest by anyone in the Blast this year.

Yorkshire’s total was also their Blast record and the highest by any team this season.

He shared 81 in 6.2 overs for the second wicket with Adam Lyth, who hit 33 off 31, before adding 67 for the fifth wicket in 4.4 with Jack Leaning to advance from 148-4.

There was no let up for the Rapids bowlers from the moment Alex Lees hoisted Australian all-rounder John Hastings onto the Football Stand roof in the second over.

Willey later reached his second career century off 49 balls in the 17th over, bowled by Hastings and which went for 34.

Worcester gave Yorkshire an early scare in their chase as they were ahead for much of the power play, reaching 60-1 after 5.5 overs.

From there, they lost wickets all too regularly.

Gale added: “If I could have eleven Dave Willeys in my dressing room, I would because he's up and at you.

"He only knows one way, and that's what we encourage him to do.

"It's another big week for us this week.

“We have another home game against Durham (Wednesday), who things aren't going that well for. Then two away games will be tough.”